beauty reviews & other musings

May 28, 2016September 6, 2016

Kiko Milano: Haul

Last week I went to the opening of the new Kiko store in Hammersmith, London (conveniently near to where I live). Kiko is one of my all-time favourite brands – it’s affordable, high-quality and cruelty-free. They offer a massive selection of everything from skincare and every makeup item you could ever want, to nail polishes and beauty accessories. Coincidentally, the week before I visited the new store I had placed an online order with Kiko and this arrived at around the same time. The new store was running a 10% off promotion all day, so I picked up some additional things I hadn’t spotted online. As well as that lot, since I was one of the first 200 customers on the opening day, I was given a goody bag with EVEN MORE Kiko stuff (I died and went to makeup heaven). My Kiko stash has now overtaken Urban Decay as the most popular brand in my collection, and I’m totally okay with that.

So, I’ve decided to do a haul of all the Kiko bits I’ve picked up recently, and I’ll break it down into what I bought online, what I bought in-store, and what was in the goody bag.

Online haul

I already have a few of the Long Lasting Stick eyeshadows from Kiko, but I really wanted the shade 05 (Rosy Brown), which is a lovely subtle and versatile colour. I also picked up the shade 35 (Pearly Calypso Rose), as I want to try out more bright and pink-y shades for summer. These sticks are amazing and pigmented, and do not budge once they’ve set (hooray for oily eyelids!). The Creamy Lipgloss sticks from Kiko were on sale, so I got the shade 112 (Vintage Rose). This is a twist-up crayon lipstick that gives a lovely sheer, glossy pink tint to the lips. Finally, my order included the Water Eyeshadow in 218 (Grapefruit Pink). I always thought the pans of these product looked insane, and they are CRAZY pigmented, and so luxurious. Again, I wanted to try more pinks and oranges, so this grapefruit shade seemed like a perfect choice.

In-store haul

I was really impressed with the Water Eyeshadow that I had ordered online, so I picked up another one in the shade 227 (Light Taupe), a shimmery shade that makes for a great base shadow or a subtle highlight. I have a couple of the basic Nail Lacquers already, and I love the formula (and the price) so I grabbed the shade 280, which is lovely bright orange – again, ideal for summer. The last item I bought in the store was a Pencil Lip Gloss in the shade 03 (Glitter Bronze). This is a sparkly brown gloss formula in a pencil that can be sharpened. It is a little on the glittery side, but the colour is quite sheer so it’s not too OTT.

Goody bag haul

Since I had arrived at the store fairly early, I was given a Kiko bag with my purchase, with a few nice bits inside. As luck would have it, there was anotherWater Eyeshadow, this time in the pretty shade 224 (Lavender). I don’t usually go in for purples, but this one is fairly low-key and can be applied gently for a more sheer wash of colour. Also in the bag was a Super Gloss (which sadly isn’t available online at the moment). The colour is an opaque pink, that is flattering and not too bright, although the formula is a bit more on the sticky side. Finally, there was a nail polish duo, consisting of a Perfect Gel Nail Lacquer and Topcoat in 674 (Fuschia). The lacquer is a bright and luminous pink shade, which I’m currently wearing with the topcoat. It definitely needs more than one coat, but the effect is very gel-like and glossy. These don’t seem to have the best longevity, although I am fairly careless with my nails.

Below I’ve included swatches of the eyeshadows and lip glosses. All the products I’ve mentioned (except for the Super Gloss) are available online and in Kiko stores (which I think are international).